Monday, December 26, 2016

For My Friends In Illinois

One of the most important annual gun rights events held in Illinois is the Illinois Gun Owners Legislative Day or IGOLD. That is the day when gun owners from around the Prairie State converge on Springfield to meet with their legislators gun rights issues. IGOLD 2017 is set for Wednesday, April 5th.

The important thing to remember about Illinois politics is that not all Democrats are anti-gun and not all Republicans are pro-gun. The bill authorizing shall-issue concealed carry was sponsored by Rep. Brandon Phelps (D-Harrisburg) while recently defeated US Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) was relatively anti-rights. Moreover, Gov. Bruce Rauner (R-IL) is relatively pro-gun and neither house of the General Assembly has a super-majority.

With the number of murders in the city of Chicago now topping 750 for the year, I would fully expect some stringent gun control measures to be proposed by Chicagoland politicians. This is where they usually come from. The election of Donald Trump as President has caused the gun prohibitionists like Bloomberg's Everytown, the Brady Campaign, and Americans for Responsible Solutions to turn their attention on the states. They know they can't win at the federal level but they have had some success at the state level as can be seen by the passage of gun control referenda in Washington State, Nevada, and California.

If you live in Illinois and are a gun owner, please try to clear your calendar so that you can make the trip to Springfield. Your rights may just well depend upon it.

Thousands of Second Amendment Supporters Will March on the Capitol in Springfield, IL!

IGOLD

Illinois Gun Owner Lobby Day

Wed. April 5, 2017

Prairie Capital Convention Center

Springfield, IL

Mark this important date on your calendar. If you need

to reserve a vacation day before the end of the year -

DO IT NOW!

Because
several pro-Second Amendment legislators lost in the recent statewide
election, we will have an uphill battle when the General Assembly
returns to Springfield for the new session in 2017. Anti-rights
legislators will be more determined than ever to disarm law-abiding
citizens.

We know disarming innocent people does not make us safer. We know gun free
zones are killing zones. It is important we lobby our legislators and
Gov. Rauner. It is important that we voice our opposition to any
further restrictions on our Second Amendment rights. It's important
that we voice our support for:

Less restriction on where we can carry, so we can better protect ourselves and our loved ones.

Reducing the cost of concealed carry licenses, which is too high for many to afford.

Reciprocity with other states in order to protect ourselves when we travel in those states.

Even if you have already received your carry license,

this is NOT the time to sit back and become lax!

Those
who have taken the training and gone through the licensing process are
crucial to the fight and we need you to stand with us and be heard at
IGOLD!

Save the date! Be there!

Your 2017 New Year Assignment!

Your assignment for the New Year is to contact your State Representative and State Senator and express your concerns about: restrictions in the carry law, further attempts to enact firearm/magazine bans,
or attempts to make purchasing, owning, or transporting firearms more
difficult for law abiding citizens. Contact your state legislators at
the State Capitol and at their home office.